From the Director

On the cover of this issue devoted to music is Man Ray’s iconic photograph. For the Hermitage, it is not simply a masterpiece but brings to mind one of our most significant muscical events — when Paganini’s violin was brought to the museum from Genoa. As an example of the unique way in which the museum synthesizes the arts, Sergey Stadler played the great musician’s instrument while a model sat reproducing the pose seen in Man Ray’s photograph.

The Hermitage is indissolubly connected with music. Its theatre has existed since the time of Catherine the Great and its stage regularly hosts concerts and operas — some of which are created especially for the theatre. The museum also has its own orchestra led by Saulius Sondeckis, its various music festivals, and an ongoing program of musical events in the galleries. It is even possible to say that a certain concept of the musical life of the museum has been created that is distinct from simply presenting concerts within the museum walls. The muses in the niches of the Hermitage theatre should be pleased. The MUSEUM and MUSIC live together as semantics dictates.

Music is also heard in the exhibits of the museum itself. Once I spent some hours in the galleries with Sir Paul McCartney and we spoke, in particular, about which guitars and mandolins, held in the hands of the subjects of Picasso’s pictures, were being played and which were not.

There is also Caravaggio’s celebrated Lute Player. The sheet-music lying on the table in front of the young man allowed us to reproduce the music he is playing. Actually, even his gender was determined due to the character of the music set before him. The Hermitage and its Italian colleagues even went a step further during one event held in the galleries. While the reconstructed music from the painting was being played, the air was filled with the scents of the fruit and flowers seen in the picture.

An interesting pastime for the thoughful museum visitor is to imagine which music matches the work of Rembrandt, Rubens, and Leonardo. The musicians who participate in our festivals offer their own various interpretations. To which music do the figures in Matisse’s Dance move? It is probably not the same as that which is being played in the artists’ Music. Or is it? And could this, perhaps, provide the theme for yet another festival...